Lancashire urged to join the fight vs dementia

Alzheimer’s Research UK are looking for volunteers in Lancashire to join a new group to raise crucial funds and awareness for the country’s leading dementia charity.

The charity, which supports dementia research projects worth over £33mil across leading UK universities, want to make a difference to the 16,000 people in Lancashire and the 850,000 people in the UK living with the condition.

The Secretary of Alzheimer’s Research UK’s fundraising group in Newport, Margaret Chaplin, lost her mum, Winnie, to the disease in 2001, and got involved after growing tired of just buying raffle tickets and Christmas cards.

“My mum lived with Alzheimer’s disease for a number of years before she passed away,” said Margaret. “It was devastating to see her deteriorate, especially when she could no longer recognise us. Research is the only way to find a cure.

“As a group, we organise an array of fundraising activities, including cream teas, bric-a-brac sales, bag packing with local students, supermarket collections and making and selling cards.”

Each group needs three core members to act as chairperson, treasurer and secretary, while Alzheimer’s research UK’s regional fundraising officer for the north-west, Gillian Edwards, will be on hand to provde help.

“Regional fundraising groups are vital in helping us to defeat dementia, both through raising funds and helping to spread awareness of this cruel condition,” said Gillian. “Dementia affects a huge proportion of the population – one in three people over 65 in the UK will die with some form of the condition.”